The Nutcracker
by vanillavinegar
Summary: For Winternight, a young girl named Zelda receives a most unusual nutcracker, and adventure soon follows… Zelink heavily implied. Chapter 5 of 5 uploaded - this story is COMPLETE.
1. Recitative

**Title: **The Nutcracker  
**Author:** vanillavinegar  
**Rating: **K+ overall, K for this chapter  
**Summary:** For Winternight, a young girl named Zelda receives a most unusual nutcracker, and adventure soon follows…  
**Disclaimer: **_The Legend of Zelda_ and all associated characters, settings, etc., belong to Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. _The Nutcracker _is from the book by E. T. A. Hoffman and the ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The only profit I make from this work of fiction is my own satisfaction and, possibly, the enjoyment of others.  
**Author's Notes:** Can you believe there are no LoZ/Nutcracker crossovers? At least, none that I could find. I intend to rectify this situation – here's the first of five chapters, to be posted regularly until the end of the month. All are rated K except the third, which is T, so I've upped the overall rating to K+ for safety's sake. This is sort of an amalgamation of the book and the ballet, with a big hunk of LoZ mixed in for flavor. Do enjoy.

Write a review, get a response from the author – promise. :)

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**DRAMATIS PERSONAE**

-Mr. and Mrs. Daphnes Nohansen, a middle-class gentleman and his wife  
-Ralph, their son (aged 13)  
-Zelda, their daughter (newly 12)  
-Malon Lon, niece to the Nohansens (12)  
-Ruto Zora, daughter to a friend of the Nohansens (12)  
-Raura Light, mysterious friend of the Nohansens and godfather to their daughter

-the Nutcracker  
-the evil Mouse King  
-assorted partygoers, mice, toys, and inhabitants of the Fairy Realm

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**Recitative**

"Ralph! Zelda! Why aren't you children ready?" Mama scolded when she entered the nursery. Truth be told, her entrance had interrupted what would have been a tantrum on Ralph's part, as his younger sister had been using one of his wooden soldiers for a tea party, and the young lad had only just found out. In fact, he had been in the process of snatching away the soldier in question when their mother unexpectedly arrived.

He dropped the toy immediately upon seeing her, not wishing to be seen a child. "She's taking my things, Mama," he said, doing his best to sound mature and reasonable, like a grown-up who has been unfairly put upon.

"I am not!" Zelda objected without any such compunction. She was more than a year Ralph's junior, and thus felt no need to behave like an adult. "He said he had no use for them, did he not, Mama?"

Their good mother cut off Ralph's response. "That does not matter at the moment, my dears. Our guests will be arriving soon and who shall greet them if you are not dressed?"

She hurried them into their own rooms and then into their nicest outfits, a pretty new dress Zelda had received from her parents for Winternight and Ralph's first adult suit. The Nohansens were by no means wealthy, but they had given a Winternight party for their friends and family for as long as Zelda could remember (and for a twelve-year-old, that was quite long indeed). Zelda was most looking forward to seeing her cousin Malon and their mutual friend Ruto. Ralph, though still burning with quiet resentment for his sister's appropriation of the toys he believed himself too old for, felt proud that this was to be his first Winternight party spent out of the nursery. Soon enough (though perhaps not as quickly as their mother would have wished), the two children were dressed and stood beside the front door, cheeks pink with excitement and haste. Their father emerged to survey them, giving their mother a kiss on the cheek and proclaiming her as lovely as the day they met, before turning to his children.

"Well, well, m'boy, you do fill that suit out nicely," he boomed in his comfortingly loud voice. Ralph puffed out his chest and stood as tall as he could, throwing his head back and giving his sister an arch look. "And my little Zelda. You'll be as pretty as your mother very soon, and I shall have to bar the door against your beaux," he added, smiling down at his daughter. Zelda giggled, because after all boys were far too silly to be of much interest to her then. "Now. How are you going to greet our guests this evening?" their father asked with good humor.

Ralph bowed deeply, one hand on his stomach and the other at the small of his back as he had seen his father do a number of times before. Zelda dropped into her best curtsy, wobbling only a little as she jumped back up.

"Very good! And just in time as well," their father said as a knock was heard at the door. "Shall I see to supper while you help welcome our guests, m'dear?"

"Oh no, Mr. Nohansen, _I_ shall check on our food so that we will stay have some left for our guests," Mama replied laughingly.

Father's eyes twinkled as he watched her leave the room before waving Ralph to the door. "Go on, my boy, don't leave them out in the cold!"

Before long, Zelda's knees were creaking in protest, but fortunately all of the guests had arrived and she and Ralph had been, according to their father, "a pair of capital door-greeters." Mama released them from their duties when they had hung up the last guests' coats and Zelda leapt to join Malon and Ruto in the nursery, where Mama would come fetch them for supper later. Ruto had brought the new dolls she had received for Winternight with her, and between them, Malon's favorite stuffed horseman, and Zelda's stately ladies, the three girls had a most charming tea party, even with the absence of Ralph's soldiers.

"But why is Ralph not with us, Zellie?" Malon asked, pouring a cup of 'tea' for Ruto's guests.

Zelda sighed. "He is thirteen now and must stay with the _other_ adults."

Malon's eyebrows shot up and she and Ruto exchanged glances. "Well, he is welcome to it," Ruto said after a moment. "Grown-up talk is terribly boring, you know. Isn't that right, Lady Shadow?" she asked of one doll, and then nodded gravely at the answer. "She says dolls are uninvited, as well," she informed her two companions, who laughed.

Poor Ralph, meanwhile, was finding out the truth of Ruto's words at that moment, as he listened to dull speeches on the government and the economy, sometimes punctuated by jokes that went over his head. He was just beginning to wish to return to the nursery, undignified tea parties and all, when Mama announced that dinner was ready. His relief was short-lived, however, when the conversation immediately returned to politics after the soup course. He readied himself for a very long dinner indeed as he glanced jealously at Zelda and her friends, who were giggling and speaking to one another at the smaller table for children.

Fortunately for Ralph, even the longest and dullest of dinners must eventually end; unfortunately for Zelda, even time spent with good friends must eventually come to a close. As the guests slowly departed, with hugs from Ruto and promises from Malon that she would visit soon, with many handshakes given by Father and kisses by Mama, Zelda thought to herself that it had been a most grand party indeed. She covered a yawn with the back of her hand, curtsying to the last guest. She could hardly wait for bed.

Father shut the door and turned to the children with a smile. Mama hurried away to see to the last remaining bit of food. "A story before bedtime, m'dears?" he asked, but even as Zelda nodded eagerly a solid knock was heard at the door. "Now who could that be?" Father asked, glancing back at the door with a slight furrow in his brow. Mama peeked around the corner, a bowl in her hand. Father opened the door, and Zelda's mouth opened in surprise.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Arioso

**Title: **The Nutcracker  
**Author:** vanillavinegar  
**Rating: **K+ overall, K for this chapter  
**Summary:** For Winternight, a young girl named Zelda receives a most unusual nutcracker, and adventure soon follows…  
**Disclaimer: **_The Legend of Zelda_ and all associated characters, settings, etc., belong to Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. _The Nutcracker _is from the book by E. T. A. Hoffman and the ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The only profit I make from this work of fiction is my own satisfaction and, possibly, the enjoyment of others.  
**Author's Notes:** I couldn't find a name for the mother of any Zelda, so I made one up. It's also a reference to two different people in the Zelda canon; first one to correctly identify both people wins a drabble from me. :D Thanks to Alester the applesauceperson, .Spaz-attack101, TwilightQueenMidna, and ZoraAngel for reviewing, and to everyone for reading.

Write a review, get a response from the author – promise. :) (Note: if you review anonymously, I cannot contact you to respond, no matter how grateful I may be!)

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**Arioso**

It was possibly one of the last people she would have expected, and yet one of those for whom she would have most enthusiastically hoped. "Uncle Light!" she squealed.

A broad smile lit up Father's face; even Ralph grinned, despite his earlier surliness. "Rauru! Come in, dear chap, come in! But you told us you'd be in Termina until next week!"

The large man at the door beamed at them all in his grandfatherly way as he stomped the snow from his boots. Rauru Light was wide rather than tall, but he carried his bulk surprisingly easily for a man whose hair (what little of it remained) was pure white. He was a famous woodcarver, one of Father's good friends, and Zelda's godfather, and the children had long ago adopted him as their uncle. He often gave them wonderful gifts he had made himself; Zelda fondly remembered her old bow and arrows (of which Mama had never quite approved) that had been made especially for her tenth birthday. Mama came forward, smiling, to kiss him on the cheek. "Violet, you're looking beautiful as ever. Daphnes, still letting her fatten you up, I see?" The two friends chuckled as Mama took the opportunity to dash back to the kitchen. Rauru looked down as their laughter quieted. "But who is this strapping young man? And this lovely lady? You cannot be Ralph and Zelda!"

"It _is_ us, Uncle Light!" Zelda said excitedly.

Ralph bowed gravely. "It is good to see you, uncle."

Rauru bowed back, a smile twitching the corners of his lips beneath his moustache, before Zelda overwhelmed him with a hug. "Oh! Not so tightly, lass, your uncle is an old man!"

Father clapped him on the back as Zelda reluctantly released him. "Come sit by the fire, old boy. I sense there's a story behind your mysterious appearance."

Rauru chuckled warmly as he peeled off his mittens and allowed the family to usher him into the best seat, a comfortable armchair right next to the fireplace. "Not much of one, I'm afraid, Daphnes. My work in Termina did not take as long as I had expected, and I simply could not let Winternight go by without visiting my favorite honorary niece and nephew."

"Only your favorite _honorary_ niece and nephew, Uncle Light?" Zelda said, favoring him with her best wide-eyed look.

He shook his head with a smile. "Child, you know you're my only niece, honorary or not! But do not force me to choose between Ralph and my other nephew." He tousled Ralph's hair with one hand; surprisingly, Ralph let it go without a word of complaint. Such was the power Rauru held over children, that even the most prickly could never become exasperated with him.

"I regret you've just missed the party, Rauru, but I'm sure Violet will have something warming for you even as we speak," said Father.

"Oh, now, Daphnes, there's no need…"

"Nonsense!"

"And do not even think about going back out in that weather, Rauru," Mama said, coming back to the family with a plate heaped high in one hand. "It's simply dreadful, I know we'll be covered in ice come morning…"

"Please stay, Uncle Light!" put in Zelda.

"Yes, please, uncle!" Ralph added.

Faced with four smiling, hopeful faces, Rauru was forced to give in. He raised his hands in surrender. "As you wish." Zelda and Ralph jumped with excitement. Rauru smiled. "But only on the condition that you two bring me my bag. Can't have Winternight without presents, can we?"

Brother and sister raced for the bag, Zelda winning by a hair. Ralph grudgingly let her carry it back to the fireplace in triumph. Rauru patted his back mildly as he took his bag. "Very grown-up of you, m'boy." He rummaged in his bag, humming cheerfully, before pulling out a magnificent carving of a knight on horseback. "A grown-up gift for a grown-up lad." He held out the knight and Ralph took it with both hands. Rauru looked him seriously in the eyes. "This is not a toy, Ralph. This is a carving meant for display. Can I trust you to take good care of it?"

Ralph nodded eagerly, eyes following the lines of the carving, from the knight's upraised sword down his armored legs, from the horse's mane to its flowing tail. It appeared frozen in motion; one could almost see the horse galloping to the charge. "I will, uncle. Thank you."

Zelda bounced on her toes, golden curls bobbing, as Rauru reached inside the bag again. "And for the princess – a prince," he said, pulling out another wooden carving. Unlike Ralph's, this one was painted, a soldier dressed in green, with yellow hair peeking from beneath its hat. There was even a sword strapped to its belt, and her face lit up when she saw the bow and quiver of arrows on its back. Zelda took it carefully, mouth forming an 'oh' of wonder. "He is the nutcracker prince," Rauru explained, as she studied the toy.

She looked up, eyes shining with admiration. "He's beautiful, Uncle Light. Thank you!" She hugged him again, then went back to examining her gift. In the flickering firelight, the nutcracker's blue eyes almost seemed to follow her motions.

"You're very welcome," Rauru said, leaning back into his chair and taking up his plate once more.

"And now, to bed," said Mama firmly. "You may put your gifts in the nursery and tomorrow we will find them a place in your rooms. Go on, shoo!" she added playfully. Zelda giggled and Ralph grinned, good humor restored, as they made their good nights to Father and Rauru. Mama stayed behind for a moment as the children rushed off.

"Thank you, Rauru. You don't know how much this means to them," she said seriously.

Rauru swallowed the last of his ham. "I could hardly let my own goddaughter go without a Winternight gift, Violet. And Ralph needs something to show that he's getting older, even if he's not as old as he'd like to act."

Father smiled, but his eyes were somber. "You did not need to do that, old friend. I know how busy your schedule is, this time of year." Rauru opened his mouth, but Father cut him off. "I know, I know, you wanted to do it, but you did not have to. Thank you. From both of us," he said, catching Mama's hand and twining his fingers through hers.

Rauru gave them both a deeply pleased expression. "You are also quite welcome. Now I need to ask you another favor. My nephew, L—"

He was suddenly interrupted by a large crash and a shriek from the nursery. "Zelda!" Mama exclaimed, leaping up and making her way swiftly to the nursery. She found Zelda sobbing into the arms of her brother, who was looking most solemn. At their feet was the nutcracker, where it had clearly fallen from the tall shelf of the dresser. About a foot away from the toy lay its right arm.

"She wanted it up high, but it wasn't balanced well and it fell down and its arm broke off," Ralph informed her in a whisper.

Zelda took a shuddering breath. "I broke him, Mama! Uncle Light's prince!"

Mama took her in her arms. "There, there, my love, the prince will be all right. I'm sure your uncle can fix him."

"I certainly can," came Rauru's voice. He and Father had naturally followed Mama to find out the source of the sounds, and he immediately found the problem. He stooped, picking up the nutcracker in one hand and its arm in the other. Zelda watched him tearfully as he examined the toy. He looked up into her red eyes and smiled, before looking back down and, with a few quick motions, twisted the arm back into its socket. "There you are, m'dear. Easy enough to fix – but you must be careful with him! He is a prince, you know."

Zelda gave a gasp of delight, reaching out for her gift. "I will, Uncle Light," she promised as she took it back. She hugged the toy and patted its arm soothingly. "I'm dreadfully sorry," she whispered to it.

"I'm certain he forgives you," Rauru told her seriously.

Mama wiped away Zelda's tears with her handkerchief. "Now then, my love, you must go to bed. The prince shall be safe here tonight."

Wordlessly, Zelda held out her gift, and Father took it, carefully placing it on a slightly lower shelf of the dresser. As she followed her mother and brother out, Zelda cast one longing look back at the nursery, the look in her eyes firming to resolve.

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Despite her own tiredness, Zelda tossed and turned in her bed. Finally, she sat up, gingerly leaving her bed and going to the door. She opened it silently and peered first one way, then the other, before slipping out, closing the door behind her. She tiptoed down the hall and into the nursery, knowing by the darkness and stillness of the house that everyone else was asleep.

She smiled when she saw her nutcracker. The moonlight shining through the window appeared almost whiter than the snow outside as it fell on her toy. Its bright blue eyes seemed to glitter in the night. Thank goodness it had not been terribly damaged from its fall. She swore to herself that she would be more careful in the future as she sank onto the floor in front of the dresser, yawning. She rested her head on her folded hands, feeling her eyes flutter as she tried to stay awake.

_"He is a prince, you know,"_ said Uncle Light's soothing voice in her memory.

"I know," she replied drowsily. Her eyes finally closed, and soon her breathing became deep and even as she slept. She did not see, then, when the nutcracker's stern look gentled into a smile.

Nor did she notice when the first set of glowing yellow eyes snapped open in the shadows of the nursery, eyes full of hatred, locked onto the smiling visage of the nutcracker.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	3. Oratorio

**Title: **The Nutcracker  
**Author:** vanillavinegar  
**Rating: **K+ overall, T for this chapter (for some descriptive violence)  
**Summary:** For Winternight, a young girl named Zelda receives a most unusual nutcracker, and adventure soon follows…  
**Disclaimer: **_The Legend of Zelda_ and all associated characters, settings, etc., belong to Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. _The Nutcracker _is from the book by E. T. A. Hoffman and the ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The only profit I make from this work of fiction is my own satisfaction and, possibly, the enjoyment of others.  
**Author's Notes:** Nobody guessed both references correctly, so the drabble contest is still going on! Details can be found in the Author's Notes to chapter two. :D Thanks to .Spaz-attack101, TwilightQueenMidna, and PitFTW for reviewing, and to everyone for reading.

Write a review, get a response from the author – promise. :) (Note: if you review anonymously, I cannot contact you to respond, no matter how grateful I may be!)

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Oratorio

For a moment, Zelda was not quite aware of what had woken her. Her sleep-fuddled mind knew she was not in her bed, but she was comfortable nonetheless, and rather inclined to return to her dreams. Then she heard it again – the sound that had woke her.

The clang of steel against steel.

Her eyes flew open onto a terrible scene. Monstrously oversized mice were all around, surrounding her, all – strangely – wielding swords and standing on their back legs, fighting with armed men who attacked with sudden jolts and oddly stilted movements.

She rubbed at her eyes, but when she reopened them nothing in the peculiar tableau had changed. She stared at the combatants, terrified, pulling her legs towards her and wrapping her arms around them, hoping against hope that none of the fighters would see her. Then she realized that the men battling with the giant mice were not men at all – and that the mice were not so large as she had thought them – for the men were Ralph's toy soldiers, and the mice therefore quite an ordinary size. She was still in the nursery, but she had shrunk to toy-size, and she was hemmed in on all sides by soldiers and mice fighting to the death. Her mouth opened to scream, but she could not seem to make any sound come out.

Suddenly the head of a toy soldier went spinning away right in front of her. Eyes popping, she looked up to see the soldier's body crumple to the floor, as a mouse even larger than the others walked carelessly over it. The sword he wielded was proportionally larger as well, and a crown rested on his head. His eyes were a fiery red, and they glinted as they caught sight of her. He advanced towards her, blade pointed straight at her heart.

Zelda _did_ scream, then, a loud wail of helpless horror, pressing herself against the dresser at her back. Before she could think of some way to escape – none of the soldiers or the other mice appeared to have seen her, not that she assumed any of them would help even if they had – a green figure landed between her and the Mouse King, seemingly having jumped down from the dresser high above.

"Ah, the little hero," sneered the Mouse King, and Zelda's mouth fell open even farther at hearing an animal speak, not to mention walking upright and using a sword. "Come to save your princess?"

"It ends here, Ganon," the figure said firmly, a sword of his own clenched in his hand. He used his left, and Zelda noted, by the way he favored it, that his right seemed injured somehow.

The mouse's eyes flamed worse than ever. "I am the king, _boy_!"

"Not for much longer," the green-clad stranger replied, and the two swords met with a clang that seemed to echo over the battlefield.

Zelda watched them with an almost morbid fascination; the Mouse King loomed large over the slender figure dressed in green, but the latter was meeting him blow for blow, though she could tell that he could not keep up with the mouse's superior strength forever. At that moment the opponents happened to turn enough so she could catch her first glimpse of her would-be rescuer's face. She had thought she could not be any more surprised, but the familiar features arrested her.

It was her nutcracker prince.

She was sure it was he: the hat, the blond hair, even the sword now seemed all too noticeable, and she was bewildered that she had not known him from the first. Then she recognized the differences: his jaw was no longer overlarge, his eyes no longer wide and protruding. His motions were not the jerky ones of the soldiers. He was – she was certain of it – real now. He gave a grunt as the Mouse King landed a blow to his side with the flat of his blade, and Zelda glanced around anxiously. She had to help her nutcracker!

Her eyes fell on a bow and arrows lying nearby and she leapt to seize them. She recognized them as her nutcracker's; he must have tossed them aside, unable to use them one-handed. Shaking slightly, she pulled an arrow from the quiver and fitted it to the bow, turning to aim before pulling the string back. She bit her lip; the two were brawling so close together she could not be sure of her target. She thought furiously, but only one solution occurred to her.

"Nutcracker!" she shouted as loudly as she could. He pulled away from his battle, distracted for one crucial moment that she and the Mouse King both leapt to take advantage of. As the evil creature made as if to run the nutcracker through, she loosed her arrow. Her aim was true; the bolt struck the mouse's shoulder and he shrieked with fury and pain, dropping his sword. Her nutcracker hurtled forward, raising his sword. Zelda shut her eyes tight, but she could still hear when the Mouse King's howls cut short.

A great screeching rose up all around her, and Zelda opened her eyes to see the mice who still stood casting down their weapons and fleeing on all fours. The toy soldiers sent up a ragged cheer, turning to see who had changed the tide of the battle. Their captain strode towards the nutcracker, who was wiping his blade on the Mouse King's fur, saluting him with his own sword. The other soldiers bowed deeply.

"The field is ours, m'lord," said the soldier in a raspy voice. "Our thanks for your timely aid."

The nutcracker stood, returning the salute with his own weapon before sheathing it. "You are welcome for my help, but the one we both owe thanks to is Zelda," he said, and she started to hear her name. The nutcracker seemed to notice she was staring at them and walked over to where she crouched, still clutching his bow. He knelt and pulled out his sword in one smooth motion, lowering his head. "You saved my life. I am forever in your debt," he said, proffering his sword in both hands. Behind him, the toy soldiers also knelt, their own swords held towards her.

She shook her head, eyes wide, dropping the bow as if it had scalded her. "You saved mine first. He would have killed me if not for your courage." Suddenly she blushed and stammered, "Y-you are my nutcracker, aren't you?"

He looked up. His eyes were warm and very blue. She realized suddenly how young he looked; he could not be more than a year or so older than Ralph. "I am, Zelda. And you had my arm fixed as well, so I am still in your debt."

She smiled, feeling herself relax for the first time since she had awoken. "Well, it was my foolishness that led to it being broken to begin with, so I still believe us even." The nutcracker smiled back, replacing his sword and gallantly helping her to stand.

The toy soldier captain approached them, nodding his head to Zelda. "Forgive me, my lord, my lady, but we must return to our posts. Dawn is but a few more hours off," he added cryptically.

Zelda's brow furrowed, but she shook off the oddness of his words. "Of course, captain."

He bowed once more (Zelda wondered momentarily if all of the up and down motion would hurt his back) and turned back to his subordinates. "Men, take your positions!" he bellowed, and the soldiers scurried back to their normal shelf, two of them seizing the Mouse King's body and dragging it away. Zelda looked away from them, but watched the others curiously, noting again that they still moved with the jerkiness of… well, of toy soldiers. Were they still toys, then, and not really human? But she could feel the warmth of a living body near her, and she remembered the gentleness of his hands. The nutcracker, at least, was flesh and blood, not merely moving wood and metal. She knew he was. She noticed one toy soldier replacing his own formerly severed head as he ran to join the others. She shuddered.

Apparently the nutcracker noticed, for he gently took one of her hands with his own. "Zelda," he began, then swallowed when she looked up at him. "W-would you like to see where I come from? My kingdom, I mean?"

Her whole face lit up. "You truly are a prince?" she asked excitedly. He nodded, looking slightly embarrassed. "I most certainly would!" she answered, eyes gleaming happily.

The tension in his face fell away, only to be replaced with an answering grin. He moved to face the dresser and drew a shape on its surface with one finger – Zelda almost thought it looked like a triangle – and suddenly a door appeared before them, with a triangular design glittering on it. The nutcracker opened it before she could study it further. Zelda let him escort her through it, giving the disappearing nursery only one fleeting backwards look before the beautiful land before her captured all of her attention.

"Welcome, Zelda, to the Fairy Realm."

TO BE CONTINUED…


	4. Aria

**Title: **The Nutcracker  
**Author:** vanillavinegar  
**Rating: **K+ overall, K for this chapter  
**Summary:** For Winternight, a young girl named Zelda receives a most unusual nutcracker, and adventure soon follows…  
**Disclaimer: **_The Legend of Zelda_ and all associated characters, settings, etc., belong to Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. _The Nutcracker _is from the book by E. T. A. Hoffman and the ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The only profit I make from this work of fiction is my own satisfaction and, possibly, the enjoyment of others.  
**Author's Notes:** Penultimate chapter and your last chance to enter the drabble contest! Details can be found in the Author's Notes to chapter two. A couple of people have guessed one person right but no one has gotten both. If you've already guessed, note that you can guess again! :D Thanks to .Spaz-attack101, PokeWarriZeldaFan, and TwilightQueenMidna for reviewing, and to everyone for reading.

Write a review, get a response from the author – promise. :) (Note: if you review anonymously, I cannot contact you to respond, no matter how grateful I may be!)

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Aria

It was like nothing Zelda had ever dreamed. She had seen green grass before, and blue skies – at least, she thought she had. But the colors of the Fairy Realm were brighter somehow, purer perhaps, than those of her native land. She blinked as she caught sight of the gleaming white snowdrifts lying next to the emerald grass, a brilliantly blue river running easily behind both. Trees dotted the hills, like none others she had seen before – taller than normal trees, yet they seemed almost supple, as if their immobility was by choice and could end at any time they desired. She could see no other living creatures nearby, but birdsong echoed from somewhere out-of-sight, or perhaps invisible. She doubted it would surprise her.

Her nutcracker stood beside her, gazing out at the landscape calmly. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, finding him at least as fascinating as his realm. He turned to her, as though he had heard her thoughts.

"What do you think?" he asked, smiling.

"It's beautiful," she said truthfully. "But—"

"But?" he repeated when she paused. His smile faded. "Are you well, Zelda?"

"I don't understand any of this!" she exclaimed suddenly, unable to hold back any longer. Zelda was unused to being so constantly bewildered, and she found herself needing answers, right then. "You're my nutcracker, but you're _real_, and a prince – and this place is real too, but – and that evil mouse!" She shivered, remembering the cruelty she had seen in his gaze. "He knew me – you both did – I know you did! How – why – " She cut herself off, staring at him, eyes wide with confusion. "What are you, really? Nutcracker or prince?"

He looked a bit taken aback by her outburst (and well he might, as Zelda was rather taken aback herself), but he replied immediately. "I _am_ a prince. I have always been – prince of the Fairy Realm. The mouse," he scowled, and she stared to see such open anger on his kind face, "is – was named Ganon. He was evil, but a very powerful magician, and he wanted to rule the Fairy Realm. I would not let him, so he turned me into a nutcracker to get me out of his way."

He paused and Zelda leaped into the silence. "A _magician_? But there's no such thing as magic. Everyone knows that."

The nutcracker laughed. "Perhaps not in your world, Zelda, but in the Fairy Realm, all things are possible."

Zelda admitted to herself that she had to accept that. "But why did he try to kill me? How did I get like this anyway?" she asked, remembering again how she had shrunk. It said a lot that she had forgotten it amongst all that had happened since she had woken.

"I'm not sure," he said slowly, thoughtfully. "If I had to guess – " he broke off, giving her a very intent gaze. "My guess would be that he feared you, something you could do, just as he feared me and turned me into a nutcracker. He made you his size so he could get you out of the way, too," he added somberly.

"Me?" Zelda repeated in awe. "But what could _I_ have done?"

"Not what you could have done, Zelda. What you did." She stared at him, uncomprehending, and he stepped back, spreading his arms, the right a little stiffly. "I am a nutcracker no longer, Zelda. I am not yet wholly myself, but you cured me of that part of his curse. Because you loved even a homely toy like I was, enough to shed tears over it when you thought it was damaged beyond repair." Zelda flushed scarlet, and his lips quirked. "Have I not told you that I am in your debt?"

"And I told you already that that was nonsense," she replied, fighting to regain her self-control. She turned to look back over what she could see of the Fairy Realm; once she was certain her blushing had ceased, she returned her gaze to him. "Will you show me around?" she asked shyly. "Oh! But we will be able to get back home, won't we?" she added, giving the still open doorway behind them an anxious glance.

"Of course," her nutcracker responded, holding out his elbow for her to take. "As soon as it is time for you to return, you shall."

Zelda took his arm, and slowly he led her down the path that threaded between the trees. She almost thought she saw them swaying out of the corner of her eye, as if they were bowing, but when she turned her head they were always still once more. She didn't believe them, though; she was confident that they were welcoming back their prince.

As they walked along, passing a meadow of deep purple and radiant yellow flowers, she became aware of little shining dots hovering over the blooms. At first she took them for insects, if oddly shiny ones, but as they approached she could see that they were small balls of light with gossamer wings flickering quickly. She knew at once that they were fairies.

"Welcome, welcome," they said in high-pitched voices that blended melodiously with one another. "Prince! Lady!"

The nutcracker nodded graciously to them. "Thank you," he said softly, and they spun madly through the air. Zelda contented herself with smiling shakily at them. Her? A lady? She almost laughed at the thought. And yet, something about the Fairy Realm made her feel… different. As if she were older, or wiser, or more capable in some manner, or that Zelda Nohansen had been left behind in the nursery and a different Zelda was now walking through an unfamiliar realm, being greeted by fairies. It was all very bewildering, but she felt oddly joyful too.

Shortly after they greeted the fairies, other living beings began popping up everywhere. First there were the children; at least, that's what she thought they were, all dressed in green, playing tag through the dazzling flowers and moving trees. The nutcracker grinned and waved when they raised their hands to him. Their path wandered near the river at one point, and Zelda jumped when people emerged from it, their pale skin sparkling with water droplets. "Greetings, Prince," they said in undulating tones reminiscent of their watery homes. "Greetings, Lady."

"They will not harm you," the nutcracker said in an undertone after they had passed the river.

"I am not afraid," Zelda whispered back, and he beamed at her.

Their journey continued in this manner for hours, with the nutcracker prince being hailed by one fantastic people after another, creatures with wings and creatures without, enormous beings Zelda believed were made of stone and others she could barely make out among the grass stalks, so tiny were they. She saw wonder after wonder, amazement after amazement, until she thought her face would be frozen permanently in surprised awe. She never wanted to leave, but she could feel exhaustion creeping into her bones. Finally, as the nutcracker finished a long, quiet discussion with a talking owl that ended with significant looks on both sides and the owl flying on ahead of them, she asked, trying to suppress a tired yawn, "How are you not wholly yourself?"

The nutcracker, still watching the owl, looked at her vaguely. "Hmm?"

"Earlier, when we first came here," she replied, rubbing at her eyes. She could not fall asleep now, of all times! "You said that you were not yet wholly yourself. What did you mean?"

The nutcracker glanced away, suddenly serious. "Zelda, I told you Ganon cursed me. What I did not tell you was that I was not the only one he cursed."

"What? Who else?"

"A boy, my age, from your world. I do not know him, but we – there is a kind of kinship between us, I suppose you could say, and Ganon feared him as he feared me. He turned him into a nutcracker, too – well, rather he turned us _both_ into a nutcracker. The same one. We are still… together."

Zelda's eyes widened. "You are _two_ people?"

"Yes, I suppose you could say that," the nutcracker said, glancing back up to meet her eyes. "But part of Ganon's curse was that we could remember only some of both our lives. You have never asked my name," he added, apparently out of nowhere.

Zelda paused. She had not even thought to ask. "I feel as if, in some ways, I've always known you. I did not need to ask your name."

"I cannot remember it," the nutcracker whispered, sounding heartbreakingly sad. "I have asked, and no one else here can, either. It's part of Ganon's curse, I know it is. But when I speak with you, I almost…" He made a gesture with his hand as though reaching for something, then let it fall, shaking his head. "It is nearly within my grasp."

Zelda felt her eyelids growing heavy. She swayed, and the nutcracker stepped forward in alarm. "Zelda?" he said urgently. "Zelda!"

"I am sorry," she sighed, eyes slowly closing against her will. "I cannot stay… any longer…" She reached up to touch his face with the fingers of one hand. A distant part of her realized that he was kneeling on the ground, holding her limp body off the dirt of the path. "Thank you. I will… never forget…" Her eyes closed fully.

"Zelda! I've remembered! My name is L—!"

TO BE CONCLUDED…


	5. Coda

**Title: **The Nutcracker  
**Author:** vanillavinegar  
**Rating: **K+ overall, K for this chapter  
**Summary:** For Winternight, a young girl named Zelda receives a most unusual nutcracker, and adventure soon follows…  
**Disclaimer: **_The Legend of Zelda_ and all associated characters, settings, etc., belong to Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. _The Nutcracker _is from the book by E. T. A. Hoffman and the ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The only profit I make from this work of fiction is my own satisfaction and, possibly, the enjoyment of others.  
**Author's Notes:** Last chapter! So several people tried in the drabble contest, but nobody guessed both answers – the first one was Vio, from Four Swords, and the other was Violet, one of the Seven Maidens who appear in a couple of the games. I told you it was obscure. :) Since nobody got both of them, the first person who get one of them wins – and that is PitFTW! Bonus points go to PokeWarriZeldaFan for coming in second. If you're still interested in this story, sometime soon – probably next week – I will be putting up some notes to it on my LJ, linked in my profile. Mostly it'll be things like nods to various games and little bits that didn't make it in the final cut of the story. I'll put a note on my author profile whenever that goes "live". As ever, thanks to PokeWarriZeldaFan, .Spaz-attack101, TwilightQueenMidna, and lupine-beauty for reviewing, and to everyone for reading.

And, of course, Merry Christmas!

Write a review, get a response from the author – promise. :) (Note: if you review anonymously, I cannot contact you to respond, no matter how grateful I may be!)

* * *

**Coda**

"Zelda? Zelda, dear, wake up."

Something was shaking her. She mumbled unintelligibly and curled into a ball.

"Honestly, Zelda, I _told_ you the prince would be all right. You needn't have slept in the nursery to watch over him!"

The prince… the nursery… the Mouse King!

Zelda sat up, gasping. "The nutcracker!"

Mama straightened with a smile. "There you are, my love. Now what could have possessed you to be so silly?"

Zelda blinked, trying to wake. She raised one hand to rub at her eyes, then looked down to see what the weight was in her other arm. "The nutcracker?" she asked when her gaze landed on its face, wide mouth smiling and large eyes staring straight forward. She lifted him to her face, but he did not move. Then she realized she was once more her normal size, in the nursery, and Mama had woken her and was now watching her expectantly. "Mama! The nutcracker, he was alive – he's really a prince – the Mouse King cursed him –"

"What an imagination you have, my dear." Mama laughed. "Or was it a dream? I'm surprised you could sleep at all, on the floor, with not a single blanket."

"No," Zelda replied, "no, it – it was real." She faltered under Mama's merry face. With the sunlight streaming through the window, with Ralph's soldiers once more standing lifelessly on their shelf, with the nutcracker lying in her arms, as solid and motionless as ever, it was all too easy to believe it had been only a dream. She looked down. "It was," she said softly.

"There, now, dear," Mama said, reaching down to smooth her wayward curls. "Don't be so solemn. Your uncle has had a visitor arrive this morn, and we must greet him."

Zelda looked up curiously. "A visitor? Here?"

"Yes, apparently he travelled all night through the snow to get here! And with an injured arm, too. A most remarkable young man, and very brave."

"Who is he, Mama?"

"Rauru's nephew, Zelda. His real one. He's eating breakfast with your father and Rauru right now."

Zelda sprang to her feet. It was impossible – it had to be – but something told her – She made as if to run to the dining room but Mama seized her before she could move.

"You can't greet our guest in nothing but your nightgown, Zelda."

"Oh, but Mama—"

"No, dear. He will still be here when you've dressed."

Grudgingly, Zelda followed Mama back to her room, still clutching her nutcracker. She placed him on the bed carefully before dutifully pulling on the dress Mama chose for her, then sat and allowed Mama to brush at her tangled curls. Her eyes kept drifting to her nutcracker, and she felt her heart sink. Her toy was still here. This young man, whoever he was, could not be the prince. She sighed and wondered if she would ever see him again.

"Much better," Mama said as she put down the brush. "Now run along and tell your father and Rauru good morning."

Zelda hopped down from the chair and made her way to the dining room slowly. She could no longer bring herself to imagine that her nutcracker would be waiting for her. When she entered the room, however, she blinked to see that only Father, Ralph, and Uncle Light awaited her, her brother with a mouthful of egg.

"Good morning, m'dear," said Father, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, Father," she said vaguely, still glancing around to see if she had missed anyone.

"Ah, Zelda, would you do me a favor?"

She glanced up at Uncle Light. His eyes were twinkling. "Of course, Uncle."

"Your mother told you my nephew arrived in the night, didn't she?"

Zelda nodded.

"Well, he's gone to the stables to make sure his pony is all right after that long ride. Would you please go and tell him that breakfast is ready?"

She nodded again and left the room, walking through two more rooms before finding herself at the front door. When she opened it, though, she gasped.

"Won't you be cold without a coat?" said the boy standing outside. The morning sun made his hair shine like gold. His blue eyes sparkled with good humor.

"It's you," Zelda said, then threw herself into his waiting arms. "It _is_ you! Oh, I knew it!" They both laughed, and the boy who was a nutcracker no longer twirled her around. After a moment he set her back down, though he kept his hands at her waist and she kept hers on his shoulders. She noticed absently that one of them had a bandage around it. "But how?" she asked, unable to keep the smile from her face. "The nutcracker is –"

"Only a toy once more," the boy answered. "And the prince is back in the Fairy Realm where he belongs. And I am me again," he said, moving back and spreading his arms wide in a familiar gesture. "Thanks to you."

Zelda shook her head. "I did not do anything, really," she said. She could not take her eyes from him in fear that he would disappear. "You killed the Mouse King."

"But you broke the curse," he insisted, stepping closer to her. "You loved the nutcracker and turned us real again. You made me remember my name and freed me and the prince both."

She beamed up at him. He was almost a head taller than she, but then, he was older. A little bit. "I'm so glad."

"Zelda? Oh, there you are," said Mama, suddenly appearing in the doorway. "I see you've met our guest. Doesn't he look like your nutcracker? Rauru modeled it after him, you know."

Zelda nodded. "Yes, Mama."

"Come in to breakfast now, both of you, before you get a chill."

"Yes, Mama." Zelda waited until her mother had disappeared back into the house before turning to look at him inquisitively. "Does Uncle Light…?"

"Yes, he knew what happened. That's why he gave the nutcracker to you. I don't know how he knew that you could break it," he admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "He knows a lot of things, and I don't really know how."

Zelda smiled. "I suppose it doesn't really matter."

"No," he agreed, smiling back at her, "it really doesn't."

They stood that way for a few moments. Zelda felt the joy filling her heart 'til she thought it might burst. Then she thought of something else and giggled. "So," she said, taking his hand and leading him through the doorway, "what _is_ your name?"

His chuckle echoed in the cold air. "Link," he replied, letting the door shut behind them. "My name is Link."

THE END


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